Steampunk is a sub-culture celebrating Victorian values, culture and fashion. Joining this style with the time of year where we try to stop the clock to embrace family values, eat together as families, dress a little more formally, and enjoy the finding Easter eggs; makes a perfect marriage made in heaven.

Now, we’ve all seen Steampunk´s head on collision with mainstream fashion in the high street and shopping Malls. T-shirts are bearing moustaches, bunnies, birdcages, Octopuses, the vintage brass looking charm necklaces and over sized Owls. Those of us who embrace the darker side of alternative fashion will be well aware of the fanatical Steampunk. This gentleman can be found in plus four trousers, flying boots, aviator goggles, and will be adorned with wondrous gadgets, dreamed of in the 1880s and built with modern technology. The women, equally resplendent in their Neo -Victorian corsets, bustle skirts and heels.

What is little known is that there is a secret legion of Steampunk aficionados hidden in the closet. This knowledge is born out of the incredible increase in sales of Steampunk fashion. There are new upcoming shops and Steampunk Artisans appearing on a daily basis, so, where’s all this stuff going?

The surreptitious Steampunk will find the temptation too great to miss out on this holiday. So here is how to spot him/her;

1-The Moustache

Your brother appears for the annual Easter bash bearing gifts and his latest new moustache! A habitually clean shaven boy, he´s now changed style several times in the last three months desperately trying to find that Steampunk look that he can carry off in public.

2-The Pocket Watch

Your uncle arrives promptly, takes the best seat in the house, gets out his pipe and relaxes. However, he has this habit of getting out his pocket watch at regular intervals to check the time [always in full view of everyone] despite the fact he’s wearing a watch and has a mobile phone at his disposal!

Your sister´s phone rings! She extracts it from a little pouch on her leather belt; you can’t help but notice that she’s also wearing a leather corset, despite not visibly gaining any weight that needs checking. The pocket belt has become essential Steampunk wear for both him and her.

4- Accessories

For him, if he’s dressed formally for dinner, check the tiepin, or cufflinks. What may look ordinary to the un-trained eye, at closer inspection will reveal fine jewelry with gears and cogs that you would expect from the
Steampunk enthusiast.

For her, check the neckline and her hands. You will find ornate filigree mechanical rings, perhaps a necklace with an industrial feel to it, copper and brass being the telltale clues. Perhaps a Cameo Victorian style choker, but in cream or brown rather than the more obvious Gothic black ones.

5-Hats

No self respecting Steampunk is going to leave the house without headwear! So, if your boyfriend never goes out into the April air without his top hat, you have been alerted. For the ladies, the smaller the better. So if she’s wearing a miniature Bowler hat to match that choker, you’ve outed a Steampunk!